Primary Menu

How Health Foods Can Go Wrong?

Health foods are often associated with low-fat foods, as people believe that fat is bad for health. But, health foods are loaded with carbohydrates. People who have tried low-fat diet and added more packaged health foods in their diet would have noticed that it does not help. This is because fat, fiber, and protein are required on a daily basis for the body to function every day. But, food companies started removing fat and replaced it with sugar, which is considered far more dangerous than fat.

A recent study by The Guardian mentions that in 1972, John Yudkin- a British nutrition professor warned that sugar is dangerous than fat. For this claim, the professor was criticized widely.

Carbohydrates provide energy by breaking down to glucose. Sugars breakdown faster, and dramatically raise the blood glucose level. Foods like milk and fruit contain sugar along with fiber and protein and other nutrients. But the health foods contain only carbohydrates, which does not give any nutrition and makes the person even hungrier. The study claims that the calories we gain are mostly from processed food such as bread, cakes, soda and snack bars.

Dietary guidelines with fat-restriction came into effect on 1977 in US which suggests limiting intake of fat to 10%. However, recent studies by BMJ claim that fat restriction has little to no effect in improving health after an eight-year trial with fifty thousand women undergoing fat restriction diet. It did not reduce the women’s risk of cancer, or their weight.

Food companies started replacing fat with carbohydrates, increasing health threats as the ideal amount of sugar intake is just 50 grams per day. The solution for this major health threat is the intake of healthy fats from foods like avocado, nuts and fish and cutting back on refined carbohydrates and snacks. Vegetables are important for an everyday meal. Nuts are a source of healthy fats and fiber. Incorporating fishes like salmon helps protect cell membranes, as they have omega-3 fatty acids. Avocados are rich in fat, fiber and have less sugar. Eating a few slices a day is healthier than carb rich foods.